Tourniquet
by Dawn N
Summary: Sequel to "The Anatomy of Brotherhood." What is Harper keeping from Tyr about his time in captivity with the Genites? And, what news awaits Harper on Goku?


**Disclaimer:** The characters of Andromeda are owned by Gene Roddenberry and Tribune Entertainment – except for Tyr, he belongs to the fans now. No profit is being made.

**NOTE TO READERS:** This story is a sequel in a series. This story follows: "The Anatomy of Brotherhood" installment and if you haven't read it or the other stories in the series you should – they build on each other.

And, thanks to all of you for both your reviews and your patience between stories. Thanks!

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**Tourniquet **

By Dawn Nyberg

_Drowning deep in my sea of loathing .... It seems what's left of my human side is slowley changing in me. Looking at my own reflection when suddenly it changes violently it changes ... It seems that all that was good has died and is decaying in me. Excerpt of lyrics by the music group 'Disturbed.'_

**Two Weeks After Rescue and Return to Goku**

Tyr watched Harper from a distance in the training room. His brother had a renewed fury within him since the rescue from the Genite compound. He thought if he let Harper burn it out on training simulations and fighting droids he would bounce back, but he hadn't. Harper had declined a medical examination when they returned to Goku. The doctor's had mentioned to Tyr that a handful of other Nietzschean males had declined examinations, as well. They had mentioned to Tyr their theories as to why – 'perhaps, they are trying to gain some sense of control back in their lives, and refusing medical treatment is their attempt at that.' Tyr may have bought that, but not all had declined. There was something unspoken going on between the captives, and Tyr aimed to find out what it was. His main concern was Harper.

"Hey, little man," Tyr offered lightly from the doorway to the training room.

"Pause program," Harper turned toward Tyr. "What is it?"

"You've been at this for a while why don't you join us for dinner."

"Us, who?"

Tyr had filled Harper in on his marriage to Chévon during the first couple days after his return. The young man had said little beyond, 'congratulations.' Harper had refused to see Sarria since his return. He had asked Tyr on the trip back to Goku if she was okay after the Genite attack, but never brought her up again, except to refuse to see her. Tyr had decided not to force the subject.

"Not with Chévon," Tyr answered. "On the Andromeda with the crew. Beka, Trance, Dylan, and Rommie. We have a slip fighter we can take." Dylan and the crew had returned to operations on the Andromeda, but had remained in the system. There were no pressing matters elsewhere, and Dylan didn't want to rush Harper to return to the ship and his engineering duties.

"Yeah, I guess." Harper sighed. "Won't your wife mind?"

"Chévon isn't possessive Harper."

"So, when do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready."

"Let me shower first and then we'll go."

"All right."

**Later that Evening**

Dinner had been uneventful. The conversations had remained neutral and Harper seemed to be fine. After dinner Dylan sat in his office looking through a few communication flexi's when the chime on his door sounded. "Come in."

Dylan looked up to see Harper. "Hi, Harper. What brings you here?"

"I was wondering when I could return to my duties on the Andromeda."

"As soon as you wish to."

"I need to take care of a couple engineering things on Goku. It shouldn't take but a day or two, and then I'll be ready."

"You're sure?" Dylan questioned with a slightly raised brow.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Harper's tone became defensive.

"No reason. When you're ready we'll leave." Dylan didn't want to force the issue of staying longer.

"Okay. If you see Tyr tell him I'm running to a Machine Shop, and I'll meet him at the slip fighter."

"All right." Harper turned and left.

"Andromeda?" Dylan called out.

"Yes."

"Where is Tyr?"

"Command Deck, Captain."

"Could you tell him I need to see him in my office?"

"Affirmative."

A few minutes later Tyr entered Dylan's office. Captain Hunt filled him in on his brief conversation with Harper. "So, do you think it's too soon?" Dylan questioned.

"If he wants to leave – I can't force him to stay. I wouldn't want to."

"But, you agree he is hiding something, though?"

"Yes, and I think when he is ready he will tell us or me."

"What about Chévon?" Dylan wasn't sure about Tyr's familial obligations now that he wore a Double Helix.

"She has been prepared that I may be leaving soon. I have left the option of her coming with me open, but she wants to stay here. I will come back when I am able. We have it worked out."

"Well, if I can do anything to help if a problem arises let me know," Dylan assured the Nietzschean.

"Thank you, Dylan."

"Not a problem."

Later the Next Day

Harper walked toward his quarters on Goku. He had finished the first of two upgrades to their security perimeter power grid. He cut through the gardens on his way to his room to save time. "Thought you might come through here." The familiar voice made him turn, and he saw Sarria leaning against a tree. She wore a long coat that flowed slightly at the edges in the evening breeze.

"Sarria." Harper kept his greeting void of emotion. He started to turn to resume his path toward his quarters.

"You can't keep avoiding me, Seamus." He stopped walking, but didn't turn to face her. God, he hated how good his name sounded when she said it.

"I'm not avoiding you, Sarria. There isn't anything more between us. We were over before my recent little vacation." He turned to face her now.

"You were captured making sure I was safe, Seamus."

"I was saving everyone in your sector. Don't read into it."

"I still want you, Seamus Harper." He turned to go. "Didn't you hear me?"

"I heard you." He kept walking.

"Obviously, you didn't," she said irritated. "I said I still want you, or let me translate that, I still love you." Harper spun around and quickly shortened the distance between himself and Sarria. He grabbed her face with both hands and forced her against a tree. Their faces were so close each could feel the other s breath.

"I heard you," he ground out. "I never asked you to love me. We're over."

Sarria reached up and grabbed the back of Harper's head and pulled him closer to her. Their lips met. The kiss was hard, full of passion and anger. "No we aren't," Sarria whispered breathlessly as she pulled back slightly.

"Yes we are,' Harper's voice was soft against her cheek.

"Really?" Her voice sounded slightly amused at the absurd notion.

"Yes," was all Harper could say as their lips met again. Sarria kept one hand pressed up against Harper's stomach holding him a small distance from her while they kissed. Harper pulled back, "Yes, we are over." He turned abruptly and left toward his quarters.

"No, we aren't," Sarria whispered to herself as she watched him walk away. She felt the passion it was still there.

Harper's mind was reeling with thought s of the garden and Sarria. He had to convince himself that she was lying about still wanting him -- she had to be. After all, she had stopped him from pressing against her that had to mean she wanted distance. Harper pushed the memory of the kiss out of his mind at any cost – he could never be with Sarria.

Harper went to the training room and started a battle program and set it at it's highest setting. He would forget Sarria even if he had to let a droid beat it out of him. He fought hard, but the droid still managed to throw him against the wall once or twice. He was bruised and bloody, but he kept going. Just when he and the droid were about to lunge at one another again and voice called out, "Halt program." The droid halted his attack program and returned to the wall. Harper knelt down on a single knee to catch his breath. "Are you insane," Tyr yelled at his brother. "It was set on the highest setting – you could have been killed."

Harper stood back up from his kneeling position. "Would that had been such a tragedy?"

Tyr growled at Harper and grabbed him by the neck with both hands forcing him against the nearest wall. "Is that what you want? To die?" Tyr began to squeeze his brother's neck slightly, "I can oblige." He stopped squeezing when he saw that Harper wasn't going to put up a fight. "You're going to tell me what the Genite's did to you, and you're going to do it now!"

Harper brought up his arms and pushed his brother away roughly. "Why? What's done is done – there is no going back from what they did to me."

"What is it Seamus? What did they do?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does," Tyr's voice was soft. "Was the torture that bad?"

"Torture?" Harper looked perplexed at the question. "I wouldn't call getting beaten now and again torture or even an occasional medical experiment – I could handle that. I've had worse happen to me as a kid."

"Then what did they do to you that is eating you up, Harper?"

"Forget it, Tyr," Harper spat out. "It won't change anything."

"Change what?" Tyr wanted his brother to open up. "What set you off tonight?"

"Nothing." But, by the tone in his brother's voice Tyr knew he was lying.

"Did you see Sarria?" He decided to try and guess and by the look in his brother's eyes he could tell he had guessed correctly. "Did she talk to you about things?"

"What things? About still loving me supposedly? Yeah, she mentioned that, but that didn't stop her from holding me back while we kissed."

"You need to talk to her Harper."

"No, we're over. She can't be with me."

"Yes, she can. She chose you, and on Goku you have Alpha status, so what's the problem?"

"I'm a hybrid, Tyr."

"Yes, and she knows that, so that isn't what's eating at you. What's wrong Harper? What happened with the Genites?"

"It doesn't matter," Seamus' voice began to waiver. "She'd give up to much to be with me. I'm not a man anymore." Harper's eyes had welled up with tears.

"What are you talking about?" Tyr saw the distress in his brother's eyes and his concern jumped considerably.

"They..." Harper began, but stopped.

"They what, Seamus?"

"I was the first. They said it had to be done."

"What? Tell me!"

Tyr grabbed Harper as the young man turned away from him. He spun him around and he clearly saw the tears cascading down his younger brother's face. He brought his broad hands up to cup his brother's face. "Please, tell me."

"They did it to some of the others, too." Harper's voice shook.

"Did what? What did they do to you?" Tyr's voice was soft.

"They..." Harper's face crumbled into agony as he fought to gain control over his emotions. Tyr pulled him close and hugged him. "They sterilized me."

Tyr heard the words, but couldn't get his mind around them, and as they finally settled in and he accepted what he heard then the anger set in. He wished they were still alive, so he could kill them again. Tyr held his brother until he pulled away. "That's why some of the others didn't want to be examined, isn't it?"

"Yes," Harper's voice was quiet.

"They have excellent doctors here and some things can be undone."

"Maybe for the others, but not me. They used radiation on me. They said a hybrid was worse than a full-blooded Nietzschean. They said they were doing me a favor."

**Two Days Later**

The doctors had been able to help the others just as Harper thought, but unfortunately the young man had been right about himself. The doctors offered little hope that he would ever be able to father any children, but that in some cases given enough time, there had been cases of radiation exposure reversing itself after a few years when the body had a chance to mend itself, but they said it only had a 10% chance for that to occur.

Harper sat in the garden when Tyr walked up and sat down next to him. "You heard, huh?"

"Yes, I spoke with the doctors. And, now I think it's time you spoke with Sarria."

"Tyr, I can't. She wanted a family. I can't give her that, not now."

"Talk to her Harper." There was something in his older brother's voice that made him look at him.

"What is it? Is she okay? Is she sick or something?"

"No, she's fine, but you really need to talk to her."

"Does she know about what happened?"

"Yes. Talk to her, Harper."

"Am I interrupting?" Sarria's voice broke in suddenly. She stood a short distance from the two men. She wore the same long flowing coat she had worn the other evening.

"No," Tyr stood up. "I'll leave the two of you alone." Harper cast a glance at Sarria and then back at his hands folded in his lap. She walked over to him. She stood in front of him and stared at his bowed head.

"Why were you afraid to tell me?" She reached down and caressed his hair. Harper didn't look up.

"I'm not a man, Sarria. I can't give you children. How could I ask you to give that up?"

"Seamus, I'm not giving up anything. I love you for you and not the amount of children you can father. But, we're luck though..."

"Lucky? How do you figure?" Harper still remained looking at his hands.

"Do you remember our last conversation before the attack?"

"Yeah, we argued."

"True, but what was I talking about?"

"The Double Helix and the one thing I can't give you now – a family."

"Seamus," Sarria reached down and took one of Harpers hand's. He couldn't bring himself to look in her eyes. He stared at the ground now. "Do you remember when you thought I was asking about family and you thought I was pregnant?"

"Yes, and you weren't."

Sarria placed his hand on her stomach, "I lied."

His head shot up and he looked into her face and then at her enlarged abdomen that had been camouflaged by the long coat. "But, you said..."

"I know, I was mad because you didn't want the Helix. The moment you walked away I wanted to run and tell you that we were going to have a child, but then we know what happened. This is our miracle, Seamus. He kept me going while you were away and I was so worried about your safety." She placed her free hand on top Harper's.

"He?"

"Yes, we're having a son. You're son."

Harper just stared for a moment and then leapt up from his seat. He laughed out loud. It was excitement and joy all rolled into one. "Will you accept this?" Sarria asked as she reached into her pocket. "This isn't as formal as it usually is, but who cares, we haven't exactly been a conventional couple. I will never pair bond with another man. I only want you." Harper looked at what was in her hand – it was the Double Helix.

"You know the chances are this is our only child."

"Even if I weren't pregnant, I would still want to be your wife. Will you accept it?"

"I'd be honored Sarria Dupuis out of Neeka by Kristov."

Sarria placed the Helix on Harper's right upper arm. "I take you Seamus Harper Anasazi." She never did the complete former greeting with Seamus – he never used it around her and she believed in some way he was trying to honor his Human side. It was only recently that he had taken to using the Anasazi name with his Human one. She leaned in and kissed him. "I guess we should go tell your brother and my sister."

Harper smiled and nodded. Seamus stopped Sarria as she started to turn toward Tyr's and Chévon's home. "Wait."

"What," she asked with curiosity on her face.

"How long until he's born? I can't believe I haven't asked yet."

"Four months. Plenty of time to enjoy married life, and to figure out how all of this will work" she said coyly as she stepped closer and purred in his ear before kissing his cheek. Harper smiled.

Harper and Sarria arrived at Tyr and Chévon's quarters. They had a large individual domicile. Harper knocked on the door and his sister-in-law answered the door. "I wondered how long it would take for the two of you to talk," Chévon paused as she noticed the Helix. "You accepted?"

Harper smiled, "Of course," he said as he and Sarria stepped inside. "Where's my brother?"

"In the back room," Chévon pointed, "Now, go talk to Tyr. And, leave us girls to talk."

Harper called out for Tyr. "I'm in here, Little Man."

Seamus walked inside the room and was surprised to see Tyr moving a rocking chair in a room that looked a lot like a baby nursery. "What's this?"

Tyr looked over at his younger brother, "What's it look like?"

"A nursery."

"Well, Sherlock Holmes has nothing on you."

"Very funny. Why didn't you tell me that you and Chévon we're having a baby?"

"We only found out two days ago, and I hadn't found out what was wrong with you yet, and when I did, even though I knew about Sarria, I still didn't feel right telling you about me and Chévon and the baby."

"Hey, Tyr don't ever keep news like that from me. Even if Sarria wasn't pregnant, you're my brother I would have been happy for you."

Tyr grabbed Harper around the neck and knuckled his hair. "Thanks, Little Man." And, then Tyr noticed the Double Helix. "You're wearing a Helix."

"Yeah, like you. I'm a married man. Weird, huh?"

Tyr laughed. Both men heard their wives talking in the other room, and their collective laughs floated down the hallway – both men decided to join their wives.

And, for this moment neither thought about their duties on the Andromeda or what lied ahead for them or their families. The dangers of the universe seemed far away for now, but how long could it last?

**To be Continued ...**


End file.
